The week past was mostly damp and dark, full with puddles, rain, sloshy, slicky, shivery… a bit glum atmospherically, with a halo of sunshine finally breaking through in the weekend. So many around here are relieved to finally escape the confines of the four walls of winter after the melting of the snow and a mild warm-up to above the freezing point– not escape much, but at least to poke out of doors like tentative turtles checking the surroundings.
And then came Wednesday night Bible study, with provoking words of life, and then Sunday, with inspiring worship, and more words of life, like food, morsels of bread to chew and to spur us on to deeper places.
I’m in here, indoors, enveloped by fleece, surrounded by children heart-love…and thrilled with the order of books, just in.
And I’m looking forward to moments and hours of learning, searching, answering, asking, thinking, wondering… all through the mystery of words, arranged in ways to cause the soul to wonder, think, imagine, hope, learn. All arranged in ways that expose the truth easily missed amidst the mud puddles.
I am…learning. A soul in progress. And it’s so good to be here, in this place, so good. Not in a stagnant pool of dead water, but in a place where a current is flowing… where words of life are the bubbles of oxygen that my soul needs to breathe– not just breathe, but grow and thrive. Words of life– his words to me– sustain me. And all the other words written by other hands, that point to him through the mystery of language… this, I love. Partaking in this feast– is it a choice, now? Yes– but, no—not of obligation– but this, I love, I long to do, and it is not so much a choice, as it is a necessity, a longing, a Friend whom I must “see”, something I simply “do” because I want to. As a sunflower leans into the sun, I too, grow when I incline His way. It is, really, the way he wired his people, to receive our lifeblood from him, and to look in any other direction for the soul’s fulfillment is to end up dry and thirsty and with veins that pulse a sticky mire of want.
And now it’s Monday, magnificent Monday, when I share of moments of joy and beauty that have shown me the hand and heart of God.
#53-#78:
53. fleece, warm and soft — just the thing for a chilly midwestern, ahem, “spring”
54. a fixed computer glitch
55. a surprise 40th birthday party for a friend
56. “mom, this penny was ~born~ in 2010!”
57. “mom, can we go to the ~concussion~ stand?”
58. listening to beginning musicians around here practice their music– and observing that there has been progress!
59. worship music on the radio
60. dark chocolate… I adore dark chocolate!
61. the internet
62. “mom, will you play chess with me?”
63. “mom, can you help me with this?”
64. soul-rest for my weary self when I cry ABBA
65. learning somethings new about rest; how it’s a gift for us to receive, not something we must somehow achieve
66. finding the holes in my faith and asking God to fill them up
67. hearing different languages spoken
68. that hearts can be seen through words
69. the library; wishing I could camp out there a few weekends each year
70. that God sees to the littlest of details
71. the handmade flowers sewn by creative daughter who amazes me with all that she makes with her hands 
72. for my new favorite: soy latte with honey
73. a newly arrived book order; the sound of the spine crackling, the smell of new ink and paper, and the soft whip of flipping pages
74. the dear boy’s cowlick that just won’t stay down no matter what
75. moments in which I drink in all that is beautiful and good and give thanks for them
76. training my mind to redirect to have more of those kinds of moments
77. the grass is still showing bits of green, even after hiding for months under a sheath of white
78. for laughter, which is really good medicine for the soul
Writing today as part of A Holy Experience — Multitudes on Mondays:
57. “mom, can we go to the ~concussion~ stand?”–Adorable–you’re so smart to write it down!
58. listening to beginning musicians around here practice their music– and observing that there has been progress!–As a mom with two musician children, I KNOW that particular joy so well! Now as teenagers, both my children absolutely amaze me!!
60. dark chocolate… I adore dark chocolate!–I’m with you on this one too!!!
I heart Mondays nowadays, and I’m here from Ann’s, and amen for a soul progressing – not,as you write really well, “ a stagnant pool of dead water, but in a place where a current is flowing… where words of life are the bubbles of oxygen.” And my favorite from your list today… 76. training my mind to redirect to have more of those kinds of moments (because at first it’s thrill and it’s easy to write – then it becomes harder –as we need to train our minds and hearts – amen.)
God Bless and keep you and yours
You said it– it’s easy to write– but to do it, train ourselves… that is the goal! Thank you so much for sharing.
That is a great reading list!
Thanks, Melissa– but I got all the book ideas from Ann Voskamp’s blog! Already started reading… Thanks so much for your comment!!
isn’t He so good to command us to rest and take Sabbath? how He knows our frailty- and loves us. Rest, a gift to receive. He is so good to us. Perhaps I can suggest: “The Rest of God” by Mark Buchanan? A book on Sabbath-keeping and transformational for me in my faith journey. Blessings as you rest in Him!
Kelly, yes… I love how you put it… “isn’t He so good to command us to rest and take Sabbath”. I will definitely look into the book you recommend– especially as you say it was transformation for you– I appreciate the suggestion… so much to learn! Thanks for commenting– gave me a chance to look at your site– Blessings and prayers as you prepare for Uganda.
Visiting from Ann’s today, and so glad I stopped by! Loved your pile of new books!!!!! I see a few I haven’t read yet either. I especially loved your #66. Finding holes in my faith and asking God to fill them up. It seems for me, that I find those holes on the dark days when the trials come. It’s also true that this is when I find my “firm foundations” — the faith that doesn’t waiver or question. I loved how you worded this today and it gave me a lot to think about! It was good to be here today! Thank you for that!
Thank you, Cora, for visiting and commenting! Looking forward to getting through the pile of reading– which is an ever-increasing pile~ but I love it.
Thanks for sharing your Blessings as I love to read them on Mondays it makes ne so happy to see others sharing what GOD is doing in there lifes
Yes, Glenna, I also am blessed to read these lists… something lovely, true, and good for our minds to dwell upon. Blessings to you and thanks for your comment!
“enveloped in fleece” sounds deliciously warm and cozy.
I love your list, and I can relate to the midwestern ‘spring’. It will come eventually, it does every year, but boy is it hard when all my old friends on the east coast are posting FB statuses about 70 degree days and we keep getting random snowfalls!